friend, so maybe it was time to come clean?
“The very same. I see you put the phone number I gave you to good use.” Hannah laughed at something Alex said. “The ankle is fine,” she continued as she turned to Noah and mouthed, “Oh. My. God,” before she turned her attention back to whatever Alex was saying. “Absolutely you should come pick Noah up for dinner. We’re done for the day.”
Alex said something that made Hannah smile like she’d just been told Christmas would be celebrated twice a year. “Would I want to join you? I am starving all of a sudden. You know what? I’ll call my boyfriend, and we’ll have a double date.” They chatted for another minute, and Hannah hung up.
She turned toward Noah with a wide grin. “I guess that rules out dying.”
Noah started laughing. “I’m definitely not dying.”
Hannah leaned back in her chair and stared at Noah and Alex. “This is quite a story,” she said after Noah and Alex had finished giving Hannah and Sean the condensed version of how they met.
Alex laughed. “You could say that.” The soft smile on Alex’s face when he looked at Noah took Noah’s breath away.
Hannah looked thoughtful for a moment, and then a wide grin appeared on her lips. “And when you think about it, this”—she gestured between Noah and Alex—“all happened thanks to me.”
They all laughed as Sean pulled Hannah closer and kissed her on the cheek. “Yes. Thank God you’re a klutz, babe.”
“Hey!” Hannah looked at her boyfriend, affronted. “Without my twisted ankle, Alex would have just sprinted past me. I’m like a damn Cupid.”
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with picturing you as a chubby, naked baby,” Sean said.
“Aww.” Hannah patted Sean’s cheek. “See now you made it uncomfortable for everybody. Good job, honey.”
They all laughed. They’d finished dinner a while ago and had moved from the restaurant to a nearby bar where they’d occupied a booth and were now sitting and talking. Alex’s side was pressed against Noah as they sat, sharing one side of the booth. Occasionally, Alex placed his palm on Noah’s thigh and just held it there, and it felt incredibly good, the ease of belonging with somebody so completely.
“So, Alex, what is it exactly that you do?” Hannah asked.
Alex toyed with his empty glass. “My father owns a PR firm,” he said. “Ellison Group?”
Hannah shook her head, “Never heard of it.”
Sean, however, let out a low whistle. “Impressive. Offices in at least twenty countries, and you represent about quarter of the world’s biggest brands?”
Alex nodded. “That’s the one. I’m not exactly hired by the company. I guess you can say I’m sort of freelance. If there’s a client my father wants to sign, he’ll send me in to do the schmoozing.” He paused. “At least that was what I used to do. I’m not sure where we stand right now since I haven’t been in contact with him in a couple of weeks. I should have headed back to New York last week, but…” Alex gave Noah a smile before he continued. “I’m actually thinking about quitting.”
Noah covered Alex’s palm with his and squeezed. That was the first time Alex had mentioned anything about quitting. He knew Alex’s relationship with his father was still strained. Noah had never met the man, but based on what Alex had told him about his father, the man was cold and distant, and even though he might have loved his son, he seemed to be unable to show it to Alex.
Whatever Alex’s decision was in regards to employment, Noah would support him.
“Oh? What’s your new plan?” Hannah asked with her usual bluntness.
“I have no idea,” Alex said with a laugh. “I guess I can always revert back to my entitled, useless rich-kid persona. I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting it over the years, so it’d be a shame to let it go to waste.”
“Ooh, Noah you never told me you snagged yourself a rich boyfriend,” Hannah said.
“It’s the thing that drew me to him the most,” Noah deadpanned, and Alex laughed.
“I always knew you were after me for my money.”
“Well, that and I also like your body.”
“You say the nicest things.” They looked at each other and smiled, and Noah loved the teasing and the fact that they were out with their friends on a Friday night like a normal couple. All those things that people started to take for granted after being together for a while still felt new and wonderful,